Parents: Child with special needs assaulted at Dulaney High School

Baltimore County police investigating sex accusations

Parents of a special needs student are demanding answers, saying their 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted before school.

The girl's parents claimed police ended an investigation, but police said an active investigation continues.

The parents claimed an older male student at Dulaney High School in Towson sexually assaulted their daughter at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

"It's absolutely wrong," the girl's father said. "Right now, we are beyond embarrassment. It's the safety issue ... and they don't want to handle it. It's nothing they can do. It's not a criminal act, they say, and that's it."

According to the parents, the alleged incident happened shortly after their daughter got off the bus at Dulaney before school hours. The parents said she and the male student went through the building and ended up behind portable bathrooms, where the girl alleged some sex acts occurred.

The girl's parents said they believe there should be other safeguards, not only because of their daughter's age, but also because of her learning abilities.

"She's not able to give legal consent because she's not of the presence of mind to give legal consent," the girl's father said.

Her parents said they found out about the incident Tuesday night, saying their daughter claimed she consented because she was afraid of what might happen if she didn't. The girl was examined at an area hospital and police began investigating.

In a statement, police said, "The Baltimore County Police Department thoroughly investigates all sexual assaults reported to our agency. In this case, investigators determined that the two parties involved spoke the night before about meeting for sexual activity and that no force was used at all during the encounter. Maryland law is very specific about criteria that must be met in order for criminal charges to be filed in sexual assault cases, and those required elements are not present in this case. Also, when juveniles engage in sexual activity, a certain age difference between the two parties must be present in order for an act to be a crime. That difference is not present in this case."

The parents met with school officials on Wednesday. The principal said she will look into the matter and take appropriate action. The parents said they will keep their daughter out of school temporarily until they feel the situation is resolved.